Mobile broadband to continue expansion

Almost half (47 per cent) of all European broadband subscriptions will be mobile-based by 2013, with a quarter of broadband households mobile-only, according to a new report.

The research by Analysys Mason also found that less people are subscribing to DSL, with mobile broadband often providing lower prices.

According to the telecoms advisors, many fixed-line businesses have not expected the growth of mobile broadband, provided via USB modems, and need to begin strategising to deal with it.

"Fixed operators are currently underestimating the scale of the threat of mobile broadband," said Rupert Wood, the main author of the report.

He believes that they will have to start investing to make their product faster and richer in features, "but could end up with a product that, although it is better value for money, ultimately loses out to mobile because it is less flexible and involves substantially higher monthly costs for the end user".

The GSMA recently launched an initiative to help the take-up of mobile broadband by placing a mark on laptops that are mobile broadband-ready.